From: Your Friend <divinejoker@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2000 12:11:20 -0800 (PST)
Subject: NEW: Experiences:   Phoenix
Source: direct


DISCLAIMER:  Well, as usual I must admit that they are in fact mine and
that sooner or later, with all the money that I've made, they WILL get
together... heehee.  Oh, wait a minute, where'd that come from? ;) Nope,
that momentary insanity holds no validi ty.  THEY ARE NOT MINE (as much as
I would like to own them) AND THEY BELONG TO CC, DD, GA, AND FOX
ENTERTAINMENT.  Hence I am making absolutely no money while I relieve my
mind of this. 

SUMMARY:  After being called off of the X-Files, Mulder and Scully are
happily reunited on a Violent Crimes Case where they are forced to show
what they mean to each other to survive. 

RATING:  It could be a little disturbing, but I'm not sure if I wrote it
well enough.  I'd give it a PG-13. 

SPOILERS:  Sixth season, I think.  But there really isn't anything overt. 

Authors notes: I spent a really long time writing this, so anything that
you have to tell me, go ahead.  divinejoker@yahoo.com


((EXPERIENCES:  Phoenix)) 
			Divine Joker


SOMEWHERE IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN RANGE, MONTANA.  JANUARY 14, 1999


The pale light of the quarter moon lit the white linoleum floor, making it
appear as the thin ice that covered the lake outside the window.  The bare
branches of the forest scratched irritatingly on the window with the
gentle breeze that blew down the mou ntain valley.  Beside the cabin, a
mouse restlessly scrounged beside the fallen leaves.  Suddenly alert, the
mouse fled into the false security offered by the basement of the cabin. 
A quick movement and the owners' cat had erased the intruder and purrin g
contentedly headed back upstairs to curl next to the dying fire. All was
calm downstairs. 

Upstairs was another story. 

The man could feel the unbelievable tension.  Though asleep and unaware of
the outside world, the man could tell that something was happening.  Or
about to.  His eyes moved rapidly from side to side under his closed eyes
and his fists grabbed the sheets t hat lay beneath his sweat soaked body. 
His muscles strained as if trying to push free of shackles.  He flinched. 

"No......" he moaned, low in his throat. 

Taking a deep breath, the man turned his head and opened his eyes. 
Unfocused and confused, his head darted the other way, scanning the dark
room. 

"Go away....." he mumbled, crazed eyes squeezing shut as if to block the
presence.  "I don't want you....." 

Suddenly the man's backed bowed, his chest heaving, arms grasping the
covering and throwing it aside.  Again the muscles flexed and the veins
emerged, under pressure. 

"I said go away."  His voice was rising.  "I don't....NO!" 

Some unknown force flung the man flung to the side, off the bed ad onto
the floor.  The lamp beside the bed was pushed and crashed to the floor,
causing the cat downstairs to wake.  It stretched and began to prowl up
the wooden, antique stairs.  A wild t hrashing and a groan cause the cat
to pause as its curiosity piqued.  Resuming its stalk, the cat entered the
room, stopping at the heavy oak door and peered inside.  It cocked its
head to the side at the sight of a man on his knees, hands covering his fa
ce.  Glass spread over the floor and stayed under his knees.  Licking its
lips the cat proceeded into the darkened room and over to its master. 
Rubbing against the leg, the cat glanced up at the man and purred. 

Suddenly, as if sensing a change in the mans demeanor, it turned to exit
the room, only to be grabbed by the man by the scruff of the neck.  It
screeched, preparing to scratch the man in defense.  A sickening snap
echoed down the hollow house and faded in
 to emptiness.  All was quiet in the house. 



FBI HEADQUATERS WASHINGTON, DC JANUARY 16, 1999


'Its so bloody cold in this place.' Special Agent Fox Mulder contemplated
the thermometer that resided on the opposite wall.  Shaking his head, he
glanced down at the file folder in his cold hands.  Clenching his jaw,
Mulder leaned back in his chair and continued to read the facts of the
case once more.  Unconsciously, his left hand held a pencil, turning it
expertly between his fingers.  Pausing, he clenched his fist and snapped
the pencil with no effort.  Several eyes in the conference room turned to
h im, which he ignored.  He didn't know why he and Scully were required to
be here.  Just because the guy was a leader of a cult didn't mean that he
had to take precious time off the background checks he was running.  He
shook his head. 

Just then, the double doors to the room opened and Special Agent Dana
Scully entered. 

'Speak of the devil.' Mulder thought grimly.  And grimaced when Assistant
Director Walter Skinner followed her in. 

He saw her scan the room for him, and he smiled when her eyes came to rest
on him.  He watched as Skinner said something to her and she nodded,
responding.  Then she maneuvered her way to him. 

"What was that for?"  He asked, once she had taken her seat beside him. 
"I thought we weren't under his supervision anymore."  His voice rang with
sarcasm and malice. 

Scully looked at him a moment before she responded.  "He apologized, I'll
have you know."  She whispered to him, leaning in closer so that no one
else would hear.  "He wanted to know what you figured out on the case." 

"What?  This one?  I'm no bloody genius, Scully.  I've had the case for
maybe twelve hours."  He slapped the file onto the oak table, again
drawing stares and disgusted looks, which were once again ignored. 

"No, not this one.  That one."  She pointed to the AD, anger creeping into
her smooth voice.  "For shits sake, Mulder.  Let it go." 

He made as if to say something and then stopped.  Skinner was watching
them.  He narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw harder.  Scully could see
the muscles moving back and forth. 

"Clench any harder, Mulder, and you are going to crack a tooth."  She
stood abruptly and headed around the table to take a seat next to the AD. 

Mulder watched with disdain as the two people conversed, Skinner gesturing
and whispering harshly to her.  She shook her head and looked at Mulder,
as if trying to tell him what was going on.  He already knew.  She was
defending him, as always.  He closed
 his eyes and let his head drop, rubbing tiredly at his forehead.  These
dreams were starting to get to him, and they weren't even nightmares, in a
way. 

He didn't look up when Scully once again sat beside him.  She looked at
the pencil on the table. 

"You know that if you keep doing that, you are going to put the Bureau out
of business."  She fingered the utensil. 

"And that's a bad thing?"  He asked forlornly.  He sat back and offered
her a weak smile.  "Sorry."  He added silently. 

"I know."  She looked at Skinner sitting across from them, and nodded. 

He gave her a curt nod and then stood up.  "All right agents.  Take your
places."  Ruffles and muffled apologies littered the air as the younger
agents stumbled over to their respective seats.  Skinner left a dramatic
pause as soon as there was quiet.  "  As you know, this is not a hostage
case.  This is a simple review and consult.  The Phoenix is just another
group of extremists with radical views.  The leader, a one.... Alexander
James, is suspected to have assaulted several of his followers."  He stopp
ed, wondering if anyone knew that this wasn't even remotely the reason for
this review.  Glancing at Mulder, Skinner knew that there was one, if not
two, casting a sideways glance at the redhead beside Mulder.  "As of this
point, only two agents will be g oing to the.....sect, and asking
questions.  All the other agents in this room are required to be prepared
to leave on a moment's notice.  The camp is located just south of the
Canadian border in Montana, in the Rocky Mountain range."  He moved to the
ma p standing on an easel next to the ADs chair.  He pointed to a spot on
the map and turned back to the group. 

He paused, wondering what else he had to point out.  Nothing, he thought. 

"The agents being sent will be notified by the end of the day.  Any
questions?"  He stopped and waited.  "Good.  You're dismissed." 

Mulder was hesitant to move with the urgency of the younger, more
inexperienced agents.  Scully was mad at him.  He could tell.  Shit, he
thought miserably. 

Sighing heavily, Mulder watched as Scully walked out of the room and
headed back to the desk in the busy, crowded office.  Once out of his
sight, Mulder opened the file and read the facts and unusual aspects of
the Phoenix belief.  Shaking his head he al so stood and, casting a
soulful glance at his former superior, Mulder headed out of the conference
room to sit next to Scully. 

Several eyes flitted up to watch him as he entered his new domain.  He
hated this place.  It had absolutely no privacy, no availability and worst
of all, he could not have a decent confidential talk with Scully.  Even as
much as he hated to admit it, this
 case did hold a certain appeal to him.  It was an investigation,
something he had not had the joy of for a while.  A mystery for him to
nurse and unfold, to solve.  Closing his eyes, Mulder sank into his cold,
hard rolling chair and leaned back. 

"Scully, I'm having a really bad year." 

"That's a shame Mulder.  Its only sixteen days old."  She mused, closing
the case file and eyeing her partner.  He looked tired and she was
worrying about him.  "You okay, Mulder?" 

He opened his eyes and glanced at her, reading the worry that floated in
her eyes.  He smiled weakly, but refrained from answering.  She shook her
head in woeful understudying. 

"Me too, Mulder.  Me too." 

That brought out a full grin and she sat down.  Almost immediately her
phone rang.  Arching a questioning eyebrow, Mulder watched with curiosity
as she answered with her customary, "Scully."  He turned back to his desk,
resigned to admit that she deserv ed the call to go up to Montana.  She
was an excellent investigator and she really could go far in this boys
club.  He blocked out the rest of the conversation that took place less
than four feet from his inquisitive ears.  Finally he heard the finality o
f the talk with the click of the phone on the hook. 

He turned to look at his partner, question in eyes.  The silent
communication that the two shared often infuriated the others in the
office, as they never got to hear what exactly they were talking about. 
She furrowed her brow and stood, giving Mulder a 'I'm sorry' smile.  He
nodded understandingly.  Forlornly, he watched her disappear around the
corner on her way to Skinners office.  The office held its breath as it
collectively waited for the next phone call. 

It shattered the room with the intensity of a nuclear bomb.  And it had
gone off right in front of Mulder. 

Shocked, the experienced profiler answered the phone with a curt,
"Mulder."  He swallowed as he felt the rest of the eyes in the office bore
into his fragile back.  Closing his eyes in inner rejoice, Mulder finished
the conversation with a, "Right away, s ir." 

Hanging up the phone, Mulder stood, straightened his tie and stalked out
of the office.  He refrained from dashing into the office.  He was more
than a little surprised that he had been chosen.  But then, Skinner knew
that he and Scully worked the best on
 these types of cases.  Mulder had known that the report given to the
agents was not the truth when it had failed to name the supposedly
assaulted victims.  And he was also sure that Scully had noticed this two. 
He and Scully were the superior agents on the case, but what he wondered
how many strings Skinner had to pull to get them the assignment. 

He politely knocked on the door to the office before slowly opening it to
allow himself entrance.  Scully sat before Skinner, holding back a
pleasant smile at the prospect of being allowed to work with Mulder on
another X-File case.  He took his respectiv e seat next to Scully, and
folded his hands into his lap. 

"All right.  So you two...."  Skinner started and cleared is throat. 
Mulder could have sworn that he saw him holding back a grin.  His attitude
towards the older man shifted.  "You have been.... chosen, to work on this
case.  Given your excellent backgro und in profiling, Agent Mulder, you
are required to see if Alexander James is a threat to the rest of the
members.  Agent Scully, you are...well, you do the investigation on the
beliefs and rationalize what they are thinking." 

Mulder cleared his throat and cautiously looked up into the eyes of
Skinner.  "Is there anything else required of Agents Scully's....forensic
skills, sir?" 

He noticed the clench and release of Skinners jaw.  "To determine the
cause of death of four of the Phoenix members." 

"And why was this kept from the rest of the case workers, sir?" Scully
spoke with perfect calm. 

"One of the victims is the nephew of a senator, Agent Scully.  He wishes
for this to be kept to the lowest profile, yet assigned to best there is." 
He fingered the file that lay on the large desk ad then leaned back,
folding his hands in front of him.  "  The board of directors agree,
Agents, that you two are the highest qualified for this assignment." He
cleared his throat, and instinctively Mulder could tell he was lying. 
Taking a deep breath, Mulder decided not to push the issue.  "Now,"
holding out tw o tickets to the agents, "these are for your trip to
Montana.  They leave in four hours.  You're dismissed." 

Reluctantly to two stood and turned to leave the office.  Just before the
door closed, Mulder held it open and looked in once again. 

He whispered a small, "Thank you, sir." And then shut the door, not
waiting to see the small smile that touched Skinners mouth. 




SOMEWHERE OVER THE US PRAIRIES JANUARY 16, 1999

"Hey, Scully, check this out."  Mulder pulled out a sheet from the case
file and handed it to her. 

She did a quick scan of the document with her eyes and then threw a glance
at her seat partner.  "1234 AD?" 

"Yeah.  They got some old fogies heading the show."  He smirked and put
the sheet back into the folder.  "Apparently, it was back then that..." ha
cast a quick look back into the folder.  "Belial, a demon, appeared to a
lone man in the middle of the Germa n Black Forest.  Umm, for several
years, it says that the man claimed to be a channel to the netherworld,
but he wasn't possessed."  He looked at her and smiled.  "Gee, where have
I heard that one." 

Scully gave him a scalding look.  "From the way your acting Mulder, I'd
have the decency to suggest that you may even be possessed." 

He withered.  "Ouch, Scully.  That hurt.  Can't I be happy that I get you
on a case AND a case that appears to be interesting?" 

She shrugged. Shaking her head, Scully leaned back and closed her eyes. 
She was tired. 

Mulder sighed.  "Hey, I'm sorry for being so ornery this morning.  But you
and I both know who was in those pictures.  And him denying it isn't
helping any." 

"Mulder, just let it drop, okay?  You're forgiven.  Besides, I heard that
little 'Thank you'."  She opened her eyes a crack and looked him out of
the corner of her eye.  He was blushing.  "You know, its no wonder people
at the top don't like you." 

"Oh?  Why's that?" 

"Your puppy dog face could melt Kirsch." 

He chuckled.  "I wouldn't give him the satisfaction." 

"Anyway, continue." 

"Right.  Uh, so that guy dies, right?  Now its 1367, almost 150 years
later.  A cult has begun to follow this Belial.  His thing?  Appears every
year, like clockwork and predicts... oh, the death of a prominent citizen
or something like that.  Following?" 


Scully nodded, her head still back and eyes still closed.  Mulder stopped
for a moment to watch her. Noticing his pause, she opened her eyes and
looked at him.  Blinking suddenly, Mulder blushed and looked at the paper
in his lap.  She grinned and closed her eyes again. 

Mulder heaved a sigh and continued.  "Anyway, this time it goes over with
a hitch.  The 'prophet' is now possessed.  Now it's documented that Belial
kept a journal of sorts.  But this was no secret.  With the power of the
human possessed, he claimed he h ad the power to release evil in
unimaginable amounts onto the world.  Disasters, plagues, meteor showers,
which in those days were considered evil."  He turned to her in the seat. 
"This guy reeks havoc on the country side dwellers.  And how do they defen
d themselves?" 

"Demon spray?" Scully smirked. 

"Sure.  That worked for like what?  Those cockroaches in your kitchen?" 

"Humph.  Funny guy, you are."  She smiled despite her complaint. 

"Kay.  No, no.  They go for the biggest guns in those days.  A holy armor. 
The Chevalier D'éclair." 

She laughed.  "Knights of the donuts?" 

Mulder grimaced.  "Haha, not so bad yourself.  No, the literal
translation, 'Knights of the Lightning'.  These guys are holy.  Sacred to
the entire area of Central Europe.  Versed in the Bible and all the sacred
rituals of the time.  And this ain't no 'Yo u're rich, you're in' club. 
Years of training and studying.  That kind of stuff.  Only a select few. 
Anyway, charging knights to the rescue." 

Scully sat up and faced him. 

"Years go by.  Slowly, ever so slowly, the knights learn him, study him. 
Get to know his weaknesses and what he hates.  These knights are diligent. 
Don't let a single thing go.  Everything is analyzed, catalogued and
categorized."  He grinned.  "Sound familiar?" 

"Drop it, Mulder.  Keep going." 

"All right.  Finally, they get enough to banish him.  But not before he
swears that he will return and that their descendants will pay dearly for
what they have done.  And not before he kills half of the cult members by
burning them to ashes."  Mulder gla nced at the file, considering the
other information contained there.  "Anyway, catch this little bit.  The
man possessed?  An ancestor of Hitler." 

This was met by a deafening silence. 

"Are you telling me, Mulder, that the entire Nazi brigade was a sham set
up by a demon?  No no, Mulder.  I am not going to let you just say that
Hitler was possessed by a demon.  It so...." 

"Not true.  I'm not saying that Scully."  He waved the file and looked at
the flight attendant that walked past, holding a coffee.  "I'm just saying
that Hitler was a part of this cult.  The Phoenix believed in the
dominance of species.  Hitler mutated th is belief into the superiority of
the Aryans.  They also believed in Apocalypse, the end of everything.  I
guess they assumed that Belial was the one to bring it about." 

Scully was looking at him with interest.  The entire thing made sense. 
Hitler was a man of unreasonable power and dominance.  "And this is the
history of The Phoenix?" 

"Yeah.  Another thing.  They say that once the Apocalypse came, they will
be the ones to survive and raise a new and peaceful society." 

"But Mulder, I'm not catching why you're telling me this?  Do you think
that history has something to do with the four dead bodies?" 

"I don't know yet.  I had a chance to read the file before I picked you
up."  A child ran down the small aisle and almost fell over Mulder
extended legs.  "Whoa, there, buddy.  Watch where you go."  He caught the
boy and set him upright again.  "You OK?" 

The child stood and nodded.  His little brown eyes blinking.  He cocked
his head to the side and gave Mulder a inquisitive glance.  "Thanks,
mister." And he was off again. 

Mulder gave a glance to Scully, who was watching his with curious eyes. 
Sadness flooded her eyes, and then she blinked and it was gone. 

Mulder took a deep breath and labored on.  "And I gave Frohicke a call. 
He's running a family tree on the names of the deceased.  Umm, right here
I have the names, or supposed names, of the Chevalier D'éclair.  He's
going to call me when that's done." 

"So, until then?" 

"Get some rest."  Mulder shifted his legs again, trying to make sure that
no other kid would end up breaking a neck on his lanky extremities. 

"I don't sleep on planes Mulder.  You know that." 

He shrugged.  "You asked.  And that's what I'm going to do."  He lay his
head back and shut his eyes.  "Wake me when we're landing, kay, Scully?" 

She grabbed the file out of his hand and chuckled.  "Sure thing, Mulder." 

"Don't you think that you might be reading more into this than there
actually is?"  Scully said as she crawled into the passenger seat of the
Ford Explorer.  "I mean, Skinner never said that these deaths were
suspicious.  They could just have died." 

Mulder started the car and buckled himself in.  Then he stopped and turned
to his partner.  "Scully.  Do you really think that this is just a routine
cult?  Look at the history.  Possessions and mystery predictions.  Holy
exorcisms and ancients knights."
 He put the car into gear and headed for the exit ramp of the airport. 

She sighed.  "I don't know.  I just think that maybe it might turn out to
be routine and you are going to be feeling down when that happens.  Where
are we going anyway?" 

"Didn't you get a map?"  Mulder asked, surprised. 

She paused, looking at him.  "No.  Was I supposed to?" 

Mulder just sighed and looked at the road signs, looking for a gas
station. 


SOMEWHERE IN THE FOOTHILLS OF MONTANA JANUARY 16, 1999


"Crystal springs?  How cheesy is that?"  Mulder pulled down a long dirt
road and pushed down the gas. 

"I'd have to say, how ironic is that.  Considering the possibility that
their consciences are probably a little less than crystal." 

"Oh, so you do think it is murder?"  Mulder grinned triumphantly at his
partner. 

She just heaved a deep breath and ignored his tone. 

Time passed and the trees thickened.  The road gave into a gentle and
subtle rolling which sooner turned to turns and bends that practically
forced Mulder to stop the car to turn around on.  The blur of green and
brown flew by, barely noticed by a very fo cused Mulder.  Suddenly he
slammed on the brakes, causing Scully to fly forward, cutting her forehead
on the dash. 

"Shit, Mulder.  What the hell was that for?"  Her hand went up to her
forehead.  Steel eyes accusingly glaring at the driver. 

He looked sheepish, and slowly put the car into reverse.  "Sorry, Scully. 
But I think I saw someone. Or.... Something."  He stopped, slowly this
time and parked the car, letting it run.  He got out and headed into the
dense forest.  Scully followed. 

"Mulder..." She said exasperated.  "Where are you going?  I don't think
that there would be anything of importance..." 

He cleared his throat.  "Uh, Scully?" 

He pointed to the limp form that was against a tree to left.  "That's not
important?" 


SOMEWHERE IN THE FOOTHILLS OF MONTANA JANUARY 16, 1999

Scully swallowed and took a step forward to take a glance at the dead man. 
Or what was left of him. 

"Mulder..." She glanced back at her partner who stood a few feet away from
the tree, even now.  "It appears as if he was...burned.  But he's..." 

"Still there."  He took a step forward and then hesitated again.  "Scully? 
What do you..." 

"Don't even ask Mulder.  I've only had him in my sight for five minutes. 
Do you have the sheriffs number?"  She straightened out her back and
looked back to the car. 

"Yeah.  Just a sec."  He headed back to the car and reached in, pulling
out the case file.  Flipping the papers, he glanced at one and turned to
head back to his partner.  "968-0576." 

Scully retrieved her cell, and tapped in the numbers. 

"Sheriff Bergun? This is Special Agent Dana Scully...Yes sir.  But we
were, uh, sidetracked, sir." She glanced up at Mulder.  "I have my partner
here with me... We found another body, sir."  She knelt down once again at
the body, then cast a glance at Mul der, who was still staring at the man. 
"Yes.  Down the road.  We're parked beside the road."  And then she hung
up. 

"He coming?"  Mulder snapped out of his reverie and looked at his partner. 

Scully furrowed her brow.  "Are you okay, Mulder?" 

He shook his head and rubbed his forehead.  "I... I don't know.  Something
is not...."  Mulder blinked and fainted dead away. 

SOMEWHERE IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN RANGE JANUARY 16, 1999


Alexander James remained sitting all through his 'nap'.  His eyes moved
rapidly beneath the sweating eyelids.  His body gave off a fine sheen of
water and radiated heat throughout the room.  His maid, afraid to disturb
him, left his drink outside the door
 and snuck softly down the stairs. 

His mind was not with his body.  James wanted nothing more that to banish
the devil that had taken over his soul, but he did not have the energy
anymore.  So Belial had free rein of his body and mind.  And the things
that he was doing with his mind... 

Belial was looking at something.  A man.  He had never seen the man
before.  Or the woman who now stood over him.  An overwhelming sense of
hatred and pain smacked James, backward onto the bed. 

No. 

Not another one. 

Please no. 

But Belial was weak.  The last attack had been more trying than the
others.  But he knew who the next victim was.  Now if only he could
stop... 

Reality snapped back into place, as if a rubber band had stretched and
released.  Alexander James would not be able to think till the next day at
this time.  If at all. 


"Mulder?"  She tapped his cheek.  "Dammit, Mulder.  Wake up." 

Scully looked up when another car pulled up along their now shut down
explorer.  Then down at her partner. 

"Mulder." 

"Agent Scully?"  A deep baritone called through the woods from the road. 
"You in there?" 

Suddenly she stood up.  "Right here." 

The man stopped and grabbed his chest, taking a deep breath. 

"For Shits sake!"  He turned and looked at her.  "For the love of God,
child.  Please don't do that." 

Scully looked sorrowfully down at Mulder again.  "Sorry.  But my partner
here doesn't appear to be feeling all that well."  Again she knelt down
and felt his pulse. 

"Holy shit."  The whisper crept to her ears over the unnatural stillness
of the forest.  He had just caught sight of the dead man. 

"Mmm." 

Tapping Mulders cheek once more, and realizing that her wasn't going to
work any day soon, she stood and walked over to the sheriff. 

"I'm sorry.  I'm Dana Scully." 

He extended his hand.  "Sheriff Dale Bergun."  He warmly received her
small hand in his, shaking it friendly.  "what's with your partner over
there?" 


"Hmm?  Oh, I'm not too sure.  But he seems like he's not going to die....I
hope."  She glanced back over at Mulder.  "he just fainted dead away." 
She took a deep breath and looked up to the Sheriff again.  "so, is this
what the rest of the victims looke d like?" 


 "I'm not so sure.  I don't think so.  They were more or less still
intact," he let loose a sigh and looked to the body.  "not like this. 
No." 

the two officers were startled when a grunt sounded from over where Mulder
lay. 

"Mulder? You OK?" 

"Scully?"  his voice was weak and his body shook, as if from exhaustion. 
"Where are you, Scully?" 

quickly she stepped over the few logs that separated her from Mulder and
was by his side.  She knelt down to him, putting her hand to his cheek. 
"hey,"  she said, helping him to sit up straight.  "what's up with you?"
she asked tenderly.  Doctor mode k icked in and she began to check him
out.  Putting her fingers to his half closed eyelids, she check for
dilation and then checked his pulse. 

"I don't know, Scully.  It was the oddest feeling...  oh, hello." He
noticed Bergun standing over them.  "who are you?" he held the Sheriffs
eyes for a moment and felt something in his chest, an odd feeling of
discontent. 

"oh, I'm Sheriff Bergun.  If you'll excuse me, I'll go phone the coroner. 
Or what passes as the coroner in the town."  He smiled and headed out to
the road again. 

"How long has he been here, Scully?"  Mulder struggled to his feet and
steadied himself against a tree. 

"Slow down, Mulder."  She held out her hand and he smiled weakly.  "why do
you ask?" 

"uh, I don't know.  I just get a weird vibe out of him." 

"Mulder, what happened before?"  she glanced worriedly out to the road
where Bergun had a cell phone to his ear. 

"I'm... not really sure, Scully."  He shook his head and closed his eyes. 
Letting his head fall back, his closed eyes worked as if he was scanning
the sky.  "I was just standing there... and I saw something else.  No, not
something.  It wasn't actually there."  His head fell forward again and
his eyes slowly opened. 

Scully gasped at what she saw there.  "Mulder?  What's going on?"  Scully
took a troubled step backwards, holding out her hands to fend something
off.  "Mulder?  Stop it, you're scaring me.  Mulder?" 

"Relax, Scully.  You know that I would never hurt you.  But I feel as
if...  as if it..." 

suddenly he released a growl and his eyes rolled into the back of his
head.  He stumbled but remained on his feet, through some feat of the
unnatural. 

"Sheriff!"  Scully called out in panic.  "Sheriff! Something is wrong with
Mulder!"  she reached out to him this time, laying a comforting hand on
his shoulder.  "Mulder?  Can you hear me?" 

no response. 

The man came bumbling through the bush to her side.  Just as he reached
them, Mulder shuddered and fell, falling away from the sheriff and towards
Scully. 

Abruptly, Mulder gained his balance and opened his eyes.  Accusingly,
Mulder held his gaze with Bergun.  Then he closed his eyes and rubbed his
neck. 

"What the hell was the Mulder?  Just what the hell is wrong with you?" 

"I'm sorry, Scully.  I'm going to the car now, for a while." And without
another glance, Mulder stalked away and sat down in the car, allowing his
head to fall back onto the headrest.  He fell asleep immediately. 


"Mulder?" 

Scully's tender voice broke through the mist surrounding Mulders mind. 
Raising his eyebrows, he pried his eyes open and came to look into
Scully's blue ones. 

"There you are."  She smiled gently and leaned back out of the car. 
"We're at the motel, Mulder.  I think that you might want sleep in an
actual bed.  Come on."  She held out a hand to him, and helped him out of
the Explorer. 

"Scully.  I... I really don't feel well." 

"I'm not surprised Mulder.  I checked and you're running a fever of 101. 
That's pushing it."  She went up the stairs before his slowly moving body
and opened the door, then came back down and helped him the rest of the
way.  "What you need is a little bi t of rest." 

"How long... what time is it?"  He was starting to get delirious.  Sights
wavered, and Scully's voice was blurred.  "What did you say?" 

She said nothing now and just helped him to the bed before he passed out. 


Mulders dream washed over him.  Time blurred and space passed.  Age didn't
exist and light was all-encompassing. 

Now a man stood in front of him.  A tall man with dark eyes.  His silver
hair and steel armor shone in the right light and Mulder squinted. 

"Who are you?"  He paused, catching a closer look at him. "I've seen you
before.  In the forest, right?" 

The man nodded.  But continued to stand there.  It was as if he was
struggling to find something to say.  He started to fade. 

Mulder reached out a hand and hollered, "Wait!" 

"Watch the skies, little one.  For when the darkness ascends, your only
light will be from the heavens." 

Mulder was shocked at the tenderness of the old mans voice.  "What does
that mean?" 

Again the man began to waver. 

"What do you mean?  Who are you?" he reiterated. 

Suddenly the man disappeared and Mulder was left with a sense of loss. 

"I will always be with you little one.  Do not forget me, for if you do,
the earth is already lost." 

The voice rang out of the void, surrounding him in a cloth of comfort and
closeness.  He closed his eyes and relaxed.  A soft darkness,
non-threatening, descended and Mulder melted away. 


He felt a cool gentle hand ran across his forehead and a tongue clucked
tenderly. 

"Wow, Mulder."  She reached over him a grabbed the damp cloth that rested
on the table beside the bed.  "You got this one bad."  She ran a finger
down his cheek. 

He moved and groaned.  "Ugh."  He stretched and noticed that he was only
wearing his boxers.  "Scully?  Why am I only wearing my boxers?" 

"Because you're sick, Mulder.  Besides," she smiled at him, "It's nothing
I haven't seen before."  Her eyes turned from humorous to worried.  "Are
you feeling any better?  You had it pretty bad for a while there." 

Suddenly his eyes opened and he stared in alarm at her.  He sat bolt
upright.  "It's happening again.  That's what he meant." 

Scully stood back and glanced down at him.  "Mulder?  That's what who
meant?  And what's happening?" 

Mulder stood and fought the wave of nausea that surfaced with the sudden
movement.  He grabbed his head.  His head ached and he felt as if someone
was pulling him backwards. 

"Mulder..."  Scully reached out to him with a helpful hand.  "I don't
think that you should be up and around yet."  She stepped forward, with
the intent to put him back in the bad. 

He held out a hand for her to stop.  "No, Scully.  Something major is
going on here.  And I need to...  I need to know...  but something,
Scully.  Something's blocking it...  Scully, I can't think!  I can't get a
thought..." His face held fear and pain.  Confusion.  He stepped over to
the table and leaned on it with his shaky arms. 

"Mulder, you are really scaring me here.  What is going on?"  She walked
over to him cautiously.  "Mulder..." She put a hand to his chin and lift
his eyes to hers. 

"What time is it?"  He glanced worriedly at his wrist only to discover the
loss of his watch. 

"It's just past noon.  It's the 17th today Mulder." 

"Oh..." he crawled back to the bad and fell unconscious. 


Alexander James was the only one who saw the immediate threat of the being
that inhabited his body.  The incomprehensible evil that was present in a
world, which had no defense against it.  Except for one man.  And he
didn't even know what he was worth to
 the safety of the world. 

He also didn't know that he was about to die. 

Pain tore through James' soul and burned his mind.  Belial was out looking
at him again.  His strength was almost back to normal.  James could see a
faint glow to the man, who lay, sprawled out on a bed in the town motel. 
This man was special. 

And the woman who was with him.  There was something about her too.  But
he couldn't quite place what it was.  A bond with the man?  Maybe. 

He felt the heat of Belials arm reach out to the man, and James felt a
moment of panic and indecision. 

But only a moment. 

Crying out in pain, James forced his mind to rebel.  He would not allow an
evil such as this kill another.  And instantly, James was no longer in his
own body. 

Mulders body screamed in pain.  This was not the same dream as the other. 
There was a distinct presence of menace and evil.  It was thick and held a
strangle hold upon his mind. 

But there was also and element of safety.  Half of his mind was in utter
agony.  The sharp fire and razor swords pierced his skin, leaving him
scarred and wounded.  Tendrils of this pain reached out to perversely
caress the other half of his mind, which l ay at peace.  The half of his
mind which was not bothered, felt serene and at ease.  Prevailing good and
calm resided there and fended of the pain of the other half.  He was
fighting. 

And alone. 

Scully sat at the table in Mulders room, watching him.  He was really
starting to worry her. 

From the half phrases and blurted words, Scully thought that he was
arguing with someone.  But with the movement of his body, it was more like
he was waging a war. 

"Scully..." 

it was a soft groan, and she nearly missed it, under the tapping of laptop
keys.  She paused and glanced at her tossing partner. 

"Scully..." 

This was more prominent. And Mulder was holding a hand out to her now. 

"Help...  Scully, I need... you."  His words were pinched and sent in
fits, when his breathing allowed for them. 

She was at his side in an instant, grasping his clammy hand. 

"I'm here, Mulder.  I'm here."  She lay a hand to his forehead, and fought
at the dread that crept unbidden into her heart. 

Little did she know the battle that she was fighting with Mulder. 

James could hear the mans troubled scream and felt the tension in his mind
and body. 

For a moment it appeared and sounded as if the noise dulled, as if another
iron wall was installed and used in the fortification of the young mans
mind.  The encroaching darkness was pushed back another bit.  James smiled
inwardly. 

Suddenly another man appeared at his side.  This was the man. 

He turned a mad eye on him, and James could see the intent in his eyes. 

"Wait!" he screamed in self-defense.  "I'm going to help you." 

"But you are him."  The man took a step towards him and James held out a
hand. 

"Please.  I know his weakness.  You must listen to me."  He retreated a
step into the emptiness but came into contact with a wall.  He turned and
looked at it.  Reaching out tentatively, he touched it. 

"Don't touch that!"  The man raced forward and yanked his hand away from
the wall. 

In the brief instant that James had had contact with the wall told him all
he needed to know about the woman with him.  He smiled.  There was a
chance for this world after all. 

He turned on the man.  "She loves you."  He smiled again, and looked at
the man in the eyes.  "Well, sir.  With a wall like that, I'm not quite
sure how he will find a way to breach it.  And now you have an immediate
chance to banish him."  He paused and shook his head.  "He's going to find
me...  I must tell you."  He put a hand to his forehead.  "Keep an eye to
the sky.  His weakness lies in... the... way of..." 

He looked up at the noise that was approaching.  It was the sound of a
fierce wind, a howling whirlwind of malice what was fast in coming.  He
stared at the man.  "The way of the sun..." were James' last words before
a phantom hand reached down from above
 the wall and pulled him away. 

Mulder stared into the void that had swallowed the man.  "The way of the
sun?" 

And then blessed darkness swallowed him and he drifted towards
consciousness. 


SOMEWHERE IN THE MOUNTAINS, MONTANA JANUARY 18, 1999



He couldn't stop the brilliance that was bothering him and calling him
towards reality.  Nor the calm voice that accompanied him. 

"Mulder?  You ready to wake up yet?"  Scully had just come in from talking
to the Sheriff.  He hands were chilled from the brisk wind that had
started the day before, right after Mulder had, once again, fainted away
onto the bed.  This was really startin g to worry her. 

She lay her hand to his forehead and sighed.  At least the fever is down,
she thought.  She jumped when suddenly his eyes opened.  She released a
short laugh. 

"Nice to see you too."  He said grimly.  "I feel awful." 

"Yeah, well considering that you've been almost dead for the last couple
of days."  She disappeared into the bathroom and emerged holding a glass
of water.  "But it seems as if the fever finally broke." 

He noticed that she still wore her coat.  "Where did you go?"  He sat up,
slowly this time, wary that the last time he had sat up fast, he had slide
into another of those...  he gasped. 

It was coming back.  The old man.  The surrounding terror.  The pain and
confusion.  That other man. 

The pure, uninhibited evil. 

He shuddered.  Something was horribly wrong in this little town.  He
looked worriedly at Scully, and made a incredibly hard decision. 

"I want you to leave, Scully."  He took the glass from her hand, set it
next to the bed on the table and went into the bathroom. 

She coughed.  "Excuse me?  I think you might still be sick after all,
Mulder."  She walked to the door and watched him look at himself in the
mirror.  "What did you say?" 

"I said that I want you to get out of this sick little excuse for a town." 
He turned and without meeting her eyes, closed the door in her face. 

"Mulder, you are making me incredibly pissed off at you."  She was very
tempted to just open that door and ignore that he was going to the
washroom.  She decided, instead, to wait, right in front of the door.  She
crossed her arms across her chest and wai ted. 

He opened the door and almost walked right into her.  "Scully, just go." 

"Mulder.  No." 

He closed his eyes, sighing.  In that moment, Scully saw something she had
never seen in him before.  Fear. 

"Mulder?  You've got to talk to me.  I really need to know what you're
thinking." 

"Right now, the only thing that I'm thinking is that you need to get out
of here."  He brushed past her and headed to the window. 

"Well you should know by now, that I am not going to leave you like this. 
It's just not me, Mulder.  Why do you want me to go?"  She remained where
she was by the bathroom, knowing that he needed the distance from her. 
Not out of disgust, but out of fea r.  "Mulder..." 

he turned back to her, shoulders falling.  "I don't even know if I can
explain it, Scully.  Those dreams I had while I was out," he gestured to
the bed, eyes following his hand.  He looked up at her, eyes locking with
hers.  He opened his mouth as if to tell her something.  He paused and
then actually said something.  "They were to real to have actually been...
dreams."  He sighed and sank into the hard chair that sat stonily next to
the window.  "And I know that you are probably thinking that I'm still
sick and that I'm not being rational."  He gave a half-hearted smile,
which disappeared as fast as it had made an appearance.  "But if what I
saw... felt... experienced in that dream is anything even remotely close
to what could possibly happen in this to wn, then, Scully, I want you to
get out of here."  He now wouldn't even meet her eyes. 

"And leave you here by yourself?"  She walked around the bed and knelt
down by his feet.  She looked up into his hidden face.  "Mulder, I can't
even trust you far enough to feed yourself.  And you want me to leave
you... like this?"  She was halfway betwe en amused and angrier than hell. 
"I don't believe you, Mulder."  She was incredulous.  Sometimes, she
realized, she didn't know a thing about this man.  "You don't want me to
go.  Do you know that you called out to me in your dream?" 

Reluctantly, Mulder looked into her eyes, trying to disguise what he was
really feeling.  "You're right.  A part of me doesn't want you to go.  But
the other half wants you to turn heel and run.  And I wouldn't hold any
resentment, Scully.  I don't want t o have to see you face this." 

"What is 'this', Mulder?  I don't even know what you are trying to push me
away from." 

"I don't know either.  I just know what I felt, Scully.  And what I did
feel was unchecked and indiscriminate hatred.  But in that, Scully, I had
a wall around me." His eyes were closed, as if he were visualizing what he
had witnessed in the dream.  "I wa s in a void.  And my mind...  I could
feel this heavy blanket cover one half, it left it calm and undisturbed. 
But the other half." He took a deep breath. And shook his head.  "I can't
tell you, Scully.  I wouldn't do that to you.  You don't deserve that ." 

Now she was angry.  "And you do?" she yelled, standing up and over him. 
"You think, that by sending me away will protect me?  That I'll be safer?" 
Her tone was harsh, criticizing.  She saw him cringe, and softened her
voice.  "Don't you think that I wan t to do the same thing, Mulder?  Don't
you think that I don't want to have to see you torture yourself by hiding
this in you?  Don't you know..." she paused, laying a hand on his head. 
"Don't you know that I love you?" 

"I felt his intent, Scully.  And I know that if you stay, it'll know
exactly how to kill me.  It'll know how to tear my beating heart from my
chest and allow me to live.  It'll know all the things about me that I
have never admitted and it will torment me ; torture me.  And you know? 
That's not even what scares me."  He looked up into her eyes.  "It's what
I know that it will do to you.  That's my fear." He reached and grabbed
her hand in his, his sweaty palm encasing hers and holding tight. 

She fell to her knees in front of him, and looked him straight in the
eyes.  She held a tender smile across her face, and gently squeezed his
hand.  "Mulder?  You want to keep me safe?" 

"More than anything in the world."  He admitted, his eyes falling. 

Scully felt the tears threaten to spill over.  "Than keep me with you. 
Mulder, the world is just as dangerous out there.  I don't know exactly
what it is that you are talking about... with the dreams and all, but I
want you to talk to me."  She watched his head lift slowly and meet hers. 
She was surprised to see tears falling on his face.  "Mulder..." Her hand
came up to rest on his cheek.  "Listen to me.  Please don't ask me to
leave.  Cause I really don't want to.  If you want to keep me safe Mulder,
 let me stay here with you.  I feel the safest when I'm with you, Mulder. 
And when I'm with you, I know that you are safe.  But you've been denied
so many things in life that if you did ask me to leave I would.  But
Mulder, I don't want to go." 

For a moment she thought he was still going to ask her to leave, and then
what she had said hit him full force.  "I remember calling out to you.  I
remember the utter desolation that I felt when I did.  Like I said, half
of my mind was calm; undisturbed and at peace.  But the other half," he
glanced at her, giving her a chance to back out.  "It was...everything
bad.  Evil incarnate.  Minds of murderers, abusers, cultists and
kidnappers resided in that corruption.  And it was taking over the other
half of
 me.  I could see my mind as if it were a horizon, with a storm
approaching.  Can you see it, Scully?  Fingers of panic, malice...evil,"
he sneered, shuddering.  "And the only thing I could think of was you.  I
called... screamed, and then, just as I felt
 the fingers wrap around me..." He smiled and caught her eyes. "This wall
came out of nowhere.  Invisible yet impenetrable.  And I just knew... I
knew that it was you." 

She smiled.  She noticed his eyelids drooping and his head nodding. 

"Come on, Mulder." She stood next to him and helped him to his feet.  "I
think you need to get some actual sleep.  We have a lot do in the next few
days."  She helped him into the bad and drew the blankets up to his chin. 
Tenderly she ran a finger from h is brow to his chin.  "Sleep well,
Mulder.  I'll be here when you wake up." 

JANUARY 18, 1999 LATE NIGHT MULDERS MOTEL ROOM

The insistent ringing caught her ear and she jerked awake. 

"Shit!" she swore at the pain that tore through her stiff neck.  Silently
cursing herself, now aware that Mulder was still sleeping, she went to her
coat and retrieved the cell phone. 

"Scully."  She said, rubbing her neck and suppressing a yawn. 

"Agent Scully?  Is Mulder there?" 

"Who is this?"  She asked curtly, now wide awake. 

"It's Byers, Scully.  Is Mulder there?" 

"He's sleeping, Byers.  And after the couple of days he's had, I have no
heart to wake him.  What do you want?"  she walked over to the bed and sat
down next to the slumbering Mulder. 

"Oh.  OK."  There was a pause and then Scully heard two more clicks as the
other two Lone Gunmen joined in the conversation. 

"Frohicke.  Langly.  How're you guys?"  Scully asked, picking up Mulders
hand and playing with the long fingers. 

"We're fine, Scully.  You know that before you two left on this
assignment, Mulder called us and asked us to do a background check on the
murder victims.  More specifically family trees."  Langly sounded as if he
was nervous. 

"anyway, what we're trying to say here, is that we just finished the
checks on all four of the victims."  Frohicke finished for the stalling
Langly. 

"and you're up at..."  Scully glanced at her watch and did the
calculations, "2:30 doing family trees?" 

"Well, it's not exactly easy to find records that go back almost 800
years.  And accurate at that." Byers said defensively. 

"Relax, Byers," Frohicke interrupted.  "Scully, we found a common trait
with all the victims." 

"And that would be?"  She realized that she had never seen Mulder looked
this relaxed when he slept before.  She was glad that he was sleeping, and
she felt almost as relaxed as him, talking on the phone with some of the
closest friends she could have. 

"they're descendants of the Chevalier D'éclair."  Said Byers
matter-of-factly. 

This took one moment for Scully to register.  "Descendants?" she said
weakly. 

Suddenly, she did not feel so relaxed.  In fact she was anything but.  A
picture came to mind of Mulder sitting in those ratty airplane seats
telling her the horrid history of The Phoenix.  Descendants shall pay for
the sins of the fathers. 

Mulder stirred in his sleep.  She stood and stepped away, facing the wall
and lowering her voice.  "Guys?  What else?" 

"Uh, I really think we should talk to Mulder, Scully." 

"I told you, he's sleeping and I don't want to wake him."  She whispered
harshly.  Suddenly something of a revelation hit her.  "He's one isn't he? 
Mulder is a..." 

"Scully, I really think that we should talk to..."  Frohicke interjected
smoothly. 

"just shut up for one moment, Frohicke.  That's why he hasn't been feeling
well.  No." she closed her eyes and shuddered.  She turned on her heel to
look at Mulder, only to find him awake.  His dark, lonely eyes stared at
her through the thick haze of sl eep and nighttime.  She blinked and felt
the tears threaten once again.  Scully lifted the phone to her ear and
said, "Here you go guys.  He just woke up." 

Silently she handed over the phone and headed to the window, staring out
at the empty night, and feeling the pit in her stomach widen to swallow
her whole body.  She ignored the conversation that took place in hushed
voices behind her.  She blocked it out
 entirely and focused on the hopeless desolate feeling that now enveloped
her.  It ebbed with the feeling of arms circling her waist, and a chin
resting on her shoulder. 

"I don't intend on leaving you, Scully." A hushed voice crooned in her
ear. 

"You may not have a choice this time, Mulder."  Her hands raised from her
side to tangle with the ones circling her.  She battled valiantly against
the tears that were going to fall anyway.  "Did you have any idea that
that was why you were having those d reams?" 

He took a deep breath.  "I don't know, Scully.  I think that I might have
suspected back in the forest.  But it's all so confusing that I haven't
had time to actually process it."  He stood with her in silence, enjoying
the closeness that they were sharin g.  "Come on." 

He turned he around and tugged her to the bed. 

"Mulder..." Scully started. 

He smiled at her, his eyes showing his love for her.  "Relax, Scully.  I
just want to hold you.  I've never done that before, and I'd like to
before I can't anymore." 

The realization of the statement hit her like a grenade, and the tears
came full force now. 

Mulders eyes opened and he frowned.  "Oh, I'm sorry, Scully.  I didn't
mean it like that."  He crawled into the bed, pulling her along with him. 
"Shhh.  I'm not going anywhere." 

Scully closed her eyes and buried herself in the wall that surrounded her. 

"You saved my life when you came to me, Scully.  And you can do it again." 

Slowly they quieted and slipped into a blissful, dreamless sleep.
Comforted by each other and protected by the spirit of Mulders ancestor. 


JANUARY 19, 1999 EARLY MORNING MULDERS HOTEL ROOM

The warm air covering her suddenly turned chilled as Mulder flung back the
covers. 

"Morning, Scully.  Have a good sleep?" 

"Go to hell, Mulder."  She said, curling up into a tighter ball. 
Immediately realizing the implications of her remark, she sat up, opening
her eyes to Mulders grinning face.  "Oh, Mulder, I'm sorry.  I didn't mean
that." 

"Yes, you did, but you didn't mean it like that.  I know."  He reached a
hand out to her and caught hers.  "I'm glad to know that you have a good
sense of humor at 6 in the morning." 

"Aw, shit.  6?  Why this early?"  she said, getting up and heading into
the bathroom. 

"Well, apparently, one of the best investigators of the FBI forgot to tell
me that Alexander James was found dead in his room." 

The door closed only to be opened immediately again.  She leaned her head
out, opened her mouth as if to talk and then shook her head and closed the
door, throwing the lock. 

"Don't you want me to join you?"  Mulder said, walking up to the door. 

A low murmur came through the door. 

"What did you say?"  he leaned his ear to the door and waited. 

"More than you know."  She said lowly, and then added louder, "Get away
from the door, Mulder."  She caught a look in the mirror and groaned.  She
looked horrible.  "Well, it's a new day.  So let's start it out good." 

Mulder was sitting over her laptop when she got out of the shower, quietly
reading the notes that she had gathered over the last couple of days. 

"I got most of those over the phone with the sheriff.  I barely even left
your side."  She added silently, going and standing behind him. 

"I'm glad.  If you had gone out yesterday....two days ago, you might not
have been here when I needed you."  He turned and looked up from the
computer.  "so I guess you have some autopsies to do today than?" 

"Uh, yeah.  I guess."  She sat down on the bed, facing him, and rubbing a
towel over her damp hair.  "Are you sure you're up to doing some
questioning?  I mean, you just got over that fever yesterday." 

He smiled.  "Yeah.  In fact I'm kind of anxious to get this over with.  I
don't really like this town." 

"Can't blame you."  She stood and walked over to the connecting doors. 
"I'll be ready in fifteen and then you can bring me over to the sheriffs
office, kay?" 

"Yeah, right.  See you in fifteen."  He watched her hesitantly disappear
between the doors. 



"you got your cell?"  she asked as they pulled up to the old, brick
building. 

He grinned and chuckled.  "How many times, in the last six years have you
known me to forget my cell. Scully?"  he patted her hand and gestured
towards the doors.  "Now, I'll call when I think I've found anything, OK?" 

She looked at him and then nodded.  "alright.  Anything at all."  And she
crawled out of the car and headed into the office.  He stayed until she
had disappeared into it and then, taking a deep breath, he drove towards
the residence of Alexander James. 

Driving down the dirt road that lead to the two story log cabin, Mulder
took in the surrounding scenery. 

The lake down at the end of the road had a thin layer of ice covering the
surface that reflected the early morning sun.  The snow covered pines and
spruces left a pungent, relaxing odor in the air.  What he did notice was
the lack of animals in the forest
 and surrounding area.  It left an unnatural sense of disturbance; due to
the lack of it. 

He pulled up to the cabin and left the car, locking the doors.  Looking
around, he saw that it was the only house nearby.  The yellow police tape
ran across the door and it was the only sign of anyone having been here in
the past 24 hours.  Opening the d oor and ducking underneath, Mulder
entered the dusty, rustic house and stood in the entry way.  Closing the
old door, he turned and surveyed the living room and hallway that seemed
to run to the kitchen. 

He felt a subtle sense of previous pain and darkness surrounding this
house, and he was acutely aware of the fact that he could now tell what he
was feeling.  Shaking his head, he headed down the hall towards the
kitchen.  He didn't have a clue about ho w he could read feelings, or
residual ones at that.  But he put the thought aside and focused on what
he saw looking at. 

There was nothing in the kitchen, so Mulder moved to the flight of ancient
stairs and started to climb.  As he mounted the final step he gasped, and
took in a deep breath.  Something was horribly wrong.  There was something
that was here... or not here an ymore.  He shuddered, but pushed forward
and headed to the room where James had been found. 

Closing his eyes, he crossed the threshold, and stopped.  The image of the
old man... his ancestor, flashed through his mind and he felt comforted. 
Something was really wrong here.  He lifted his shaking hand and ran it
along the comforter that was laid over the bed.  He turned and glanced
around the brightly lit room.  There was really nothing out of the
ordinary in there, except the large banner depicting that he was a member,
and the leader of The Phoenix.  He shook his head and left the room. 
Walkin g out of the room, he knocked over a glass that was lying on the
floor.  Kneeling, he fingered the fragments of glass. 

Standing he took out his cell phone and dialed the numbers that were so
familiar to him.  After three rings, it was answered. 

"Scully." 

"Hey, Scully.  You got the report there in front of you?" 

"Uh, sure Mulder.  What do you want out of it?" 

Mulder looked down the stairs as he heard the front door open.  Sheriff
Bergun stepped in. 

"Hello?" 

"Just a minute, Scully.  Sheriff just walked in."  he went to the stairs
and started down.  "Hello, Sheriff." 

"Oh, Agent Mulder.  Good to see you up and around again.  From what Agent
Scully said, you had one doozy of a fever."  The sheriff waited at the
bottom of the stairs for him. 

"Hey, Scully.  I'm looking for the name of the maid that worked here." 

The sheriff looked up and noticed him on the phone. 

"Natalie McCartenay."  They both replied in tandem. 

Mulder smiled.  "thanks, Scully, but I think I can get what I need out of
the sheriff.  You get back to cutting up those people." He paused and
watched the sheriff who moved slowly into the living room.  "Yeah, catch
you soon."  He turned off the cell.  +++++(Feb. 7 '99)  He turned off the
cell phone and turned to face the sheriff.  "have you done an interview on
the maid?" 

"Uh, well there's a slight problem with that one."  The sheriff said,
turning and heading out the door to his truck. 

Mulder followed, curious.  "and that would be?" 


NATALIE McCARTENAYS RESIDENCE

"that would be the problem."  The sheriff stepped aside and out of the
way, entering the desolate room. 

Mulder stepped in too.  And came face to face with a mad woman. 

She sat in a rocking chair, next to the window.  The sun came streaming in
through the lace curtain and highlighted the blonde hair in a halo around
the young girls head.  She didn't move and her hands were tightly holding
on to the arms of the chair, as if it were her only connection to the real
world. 

Mulder cleared his throat. 

"Did you know her before this happened?"  he didn't move towards her, he
just stood in the doorway observing her movements, or lack of. 

"Oh, yeah.  She was a go-to kind of girl.  Always walking around and
talking to the older folks of the town.  She was the one that everyone
wanted to baby-sit their children.  She was like this when I got to the
James residence after the call.  I don't th ink that it was her made the
call, though." 

Mulder agreed.  "Not if she was like that, no.  but how did it work that
you knew that James was dead if she wasn't sawing anything." 

"Apparently she was saying quite a bit to her mother when she found her. 
And then when Mrs. McCartenay tried to open the door, Natalie went
berserk.  Listen, I'd prefer it if you didn't have to bother Helen again. 
She already told me the story in great detail, so anything you need, just
ask me, OK?" 

Mulder paused, and the agreed.  The sight of the traumatized girl was very
disturbing.  "Alright, let's head back to the office.  I need to talk to
Scully again." 

Suddenly, Natalie turned in her seat and looked at the Sheriff.  Her eyes
narrowed, and she opened her mouth.  Nothing came out.  Mulder stayed
where he was.  Her mouth moved as she whispered something.  Now he took a
step forward. 

"Could you say that again?" 

"you are him."  Her eyes were fastened on the Sheriff behind Mulder.  When
Mulder turned on his heel to look at the sheriff, the man was eyeing the
girl maliciously, but only for a second.  When he noticed that Mulder was
looking at him, the look died and he shrugged his shoulders.  Mulder
turned back to the girl and saw the hatred that had sprung into her eyes. 
Her lazy blue eyes caught his.  "He is him." 

Mulder furrowed his brow and watched her for a second more, then stood and
slowly walked away.  A small shiver of fear rippled through his body as he
walked by the stony sheriff.  He shrugged it off as a placebo effect of
hearing the girls words.  There's
 nothing wrong with him, he thought, heading to the car out front. 

He saw the older man watching him before he floored it and took off
towards the sheriffs office. 

SHERIFFS BUILDING BASEMENT OFFICE

"Hey, Scully."  Mulder said as he entered the metallic room, with Bergun
following him. 

"Mulder, take a look at this."  She looked up from the body that lay on
the cold steel bed and jumped when she was Bergun behind Mulder.  "Oh,
hello, sheriff."  She caught Mulder look as he walked up to he by the
trolley.  He gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head and looked
down at the body. 

"What is it, Scully?" 

she paused, unsure of what to do, and uncertain if she had read Mulders
shake of the head wrong.  In the en she decided to play as if he had done
nothing and continued with what she was going to explain to Mulder. 

With her latexed hand, Scully pointed to a lesion surrounded by a burn at
the base of the neck.  By the way Mulder was looking at the cut, it
appeared as if she didn't have to do any explaining. 

He opened his mouth, about to say something and then he stopped. 
"Interesting." 

Scully was shocked, to say the least.  No theories?  No unexplainable
phenomena?  He doesn't know what's going on?  Something was up.  And then
she understood Mulders nod.  There was something wrong with the sheriff. 
He understood perfectly what was goin g on, but he didn't want the sheriff
to know that. 

"I don't have a clue what could cause something like that, Mulder." She
fingered the cut and looked to him, noting the grateful expression.  "I
mean, I've never seen anything like it before." 

Mulder turned and faced Bergun.  "Do you have a report on James?  Criminal
record or a mental record? Anything like that?" 
 
"Uh, yeah, sure.  I'll go get it."  He paused a moment, considering the
two FBI agents, then turned and left the room. 

Immediately Mulder turned to Scully and started to explain. 

"This is what I get.  Natalie McCartenay found James, right?"  Scully
nodded and he continued.  "That," pointing to the wound, "is where Belial
left James body." 

"But, Mulder, why would he want to in the first place?" 

"Because James was rebelling.  I saw him in my dream, Scully.  And he
helped me.  In fact, I believe I was the only witness to his actual
death." 

Scully could see the fire that was starting to burn in Mulders eyes.  His
mind was turning over the fact, trying them in all kinds of different
scenarios; piecing them together to solve the problem.  She wasn't about
to stop him.  But something was bothe ring her. 

"What about Natalie McCartenay?" 

"She's insane.  She sits in a rocking chair next to the window and watches
the dead trees sway in the breeze.  She doesn't say a word.  Except in the
presence of Sheriff Dale Bergun.  And you wanna know what she says?"  she
cocked and eyebrow and waited.
 "you are him." 

"What's that supposed to mean?" 

"that's what I was thinking.  Ad then I remembered something."  He was
animated now, the gears shifting and the story unfolding before her eyes. 
This is Special Agent Fox Mulder at his best.  "In my dream, when James
first came to me, I said..." 

he was interrupted when Bergun once again came into the lab, carrying a
folder.  "There really isn't much here.  He was a pretty normal guy.  Got
no medical record or criminal one, for that matter."  He handed the folder
over to Mulder and stood, arms ove r his chest as he scanned it. 

"Thanks, Sheriff.  Scully, you almost done?"  she nodded, trying not to
look a Bergun.  "Kay, I'll help you clean up and the we ca head back to
the motel and go over this."  He turned over the folder and looked at
Bergun.  "Thank you for all your help tod ay.  We'll call you if we come
up with anything." 

The sheriff nodded and then left once again. 

"Let's get this cleaned up and get out of here."  Mulder said, standing
back. 

Scully smiled.  "You never did intend on helping me clean up, now did
you?" 

Mulder gave her a look of mock surprise.  "Are you kidding me?  You expect
me to touch that?" 

Scully shook her head and started to put away all the equipment that lay
scattered throughout the lab. 


JANUARY 19, 1999 SCULLYS MOTEL ROOM

Mulder walked into the shabby motel room and sighed.  Shrugging off his
coat, he flung it across the chair that sat in the corner, in the dark. 
He turned when he heard the door close and saw Scully taking off her coat
and hanging it behind the door.  He chuckled. 

"What?"  she walked across the room and sat on the bed, facing him as he
slumped down in the chair not occupied by his coat. 

"you're so completely different from me, Scully." 

"What's so new about that?"  she asked with a smile.  Scully looked
curiously at the man that had his eyes closed and wondered just what was
going on in that mind of his.  "Penny for your thoughts." 

"You're going to get a bargain, cause I got quite a few going around up
here."  He lifted his head and caught the look in her eye that told him
she was worried.  It took him mere seconds to get up and cross the room to
the bed.  He paused an instant befor e he sat down next to her and put his
arm around her.  "Are you sure you still want to be here?" 

she turned her face to his and smiled.  "Of course I do, Mulder."  She
looked down and burrowed her head into his shoulder.  "I'm just afraid of
what's going to happen.  To both of us.  To us."  Her arms came up and
wrapped themselves around him, latchin g on as if it were her only hold on
life.  "I don't want to lose you now." 

Mulder couldn't answer to that.  He wanted to let her know what she meant
to him.  But he already knew that she knew.  He smiled at that. 

The two of them sat silently for a while before Mulder sighed.  Slowly
moving, he shifted them up to the top of the bed and they lay there,
Mulder sprawled out behind her.  Eventually he noticed the deep even
breathing coming from in front of him, and smi led.  Giving her a gentle
kiss on her cheek, he pulled away and walked over to the table where she
had set up her laptop. 

There were some things that were confusing him about the sheriff.  How had
he come to be possessed by Belial?  If his research on possessions were
correct, it would have been Natalie who Belial would have taken over...
now Bergun.  Natalie was a child...  or an innocent as some would call
her.  Maybe the fact that she was a child was why she was passed by.  And
wouldn't have Belial chosen someone who at least believed in him? 

Mulder shuddered. The sheriff was part of the cult.  And they were working
with him.  Shit, he growled to himself.  Standing up, Mulder began to
pace, one arm across his chest and his chin resting on his other.  Mulder
closed his eyes and tried to think o f how the sheriff would be able to
control this situation. 

Glancing at the sleeping Scully, Mulder began to list off the things that
a demon-enhanced man would be able to decipher about him and Scully.  The
way that they were looking at each other lately.  And the look that Bergun
had given them today in the auto psy bay.  Mulder was sure that he knew
something. 

And now how Mulder and Scully would be able to diffuse his advantage.  The
only thing that kept coming up in his mind was them staying strong
together.  The way that she had unconsciously saved him in his vision
still amazed him.  And now she was his.  He
 smiled. 

Still pacing and going over the case in his head, Mulder never noticed the
change in Scully's breathing, or the intense gaze that settled on his
restless body.  As he moved back and forth in the small confines of the
room, he carefully unraveled all the things that had been nagging him
since he had gotten up. 

Bergun was now the possessed man. 

Natalie knew that he was possessed, but could do nothing about it. 

Bergun had an idea that both he and Scully knew that he was possessed. 

Mulder must remember that his ancestor was here to help him. 

Both he and Scully had to stay together to defeat Belial. 

Now, all he had to do was figure out what, "Watch the skies," meant. 

"It's a good thing we're on the ground level, Mulder.  You're wearing a
hole in the floor."  Scully announced evenly, sitting up straight. 

"Shit, don't scare me like that."  Mulder grabbed his chest in a mock
attempt of a heart attack.  He smiled and walked over to her, sitting down
and taking a hold of her hand. 

"What're you thinking about?"  she asked quietly, rubbing her fingers over
his knuckles.  Her eyes fell to their hands and she smiled faintly at the
novelty of actually holding his hand with no reservation. 

"the case.  What else?"  he chuckled softly, and ran his eyes down her
hair to their hands also.  He took a deep breath.  "Are you feeling okay,
Scully?  Not sick, or nauseous?  Anything like that?" 

"No, Mulder.  I'm feeling good.  I'm just a little restless.  I don't know
what to expect here, Mulder.  There are so many unknowns."  Finally she
looked up and attempted to meet his eyes.  "What did you figure, while you
were taking your walk?"  She gave
 him a faint smile. 

"Well, we know that Bergun is now Belial.  But how often do you figure a
demon will possess someone who doesn't believe?" 

She paused.  "Mulder, you're talking like it's an actually sentient
being." 

"I have to Scully.  He knows what he's doing.  He knows what's going on
around him.  When I was talking with Natalie, I turned to look at Bergun. 
There was nothing but malicious intent in those eyes, Scully.  And in my
dreams, I can feel him.  Feel what he knows and intends to do."  He stood
once more and began to walk again.  "But that's not what I'm trying to
tell you, Scully.  The only way that Bergun was possess instead of Natalie
was that he is a member of The Phoenix." 

Scully gasped.  Her eyes scrapped over to his and he saw her fear.  It was
gone in an instant.  She blinked and cleared her throat.  "But so is
Natalie."  She said sensibly. 

He smiled.  "I've thought about that.  She's a child, Scully.  And as much
as Belial controls that body, a child's mind tends to be less susceptible
to manipulation.  They have not been able to perform the evil that an
adult has been."  He stopped in fro nt of her and knelt down.  "So Belial
never possessed Natalie and when Bergun came to check up on it, he was
taken over.  And I bet that he doesn't even know what id going on with
him."  He straightened and walked over, around the bed.  Stretching, he fe
ll onto the frail spring mattress and lay his head on his hands.  He
sighed. 

Closing his eyes, he beckoned her to lay down next to him.  she moved and
lay her head in the crook of his shoulder.  "I also figured that we are
better together.  Whatever it was that you did in that dream... it saved
my life, Scully." He ran a hand down
 her back, drawing a sigh from her.  "I need you here with me, not back at
DC, and no matter how much I don't want you hurt, I know that you are
probably the only one who can save me." 

Scully lifted her head and smiled at him.  "I'm glad you think that,
Mulder.  I feel so much better now."  She smirked.  She lazily reached out
and interlaced their fingers, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "So we are
agreed that we stay together?" 

"Most definitely." 

"So what else?"  she gave a small yawn and curled in closer. 

"Not a whole lot.  Just giving some semblance of order to the facts.  Go
to sleep, Scully.  I'll see you in the morning." 

JANUARY 20, 1999 SOMEWHERE IN THE MONTANA FOOTHILLS

Again Mulder felt the comforting mist covering his body.  Glancing around,
the bright room had no dimensions.  A white mass of nothingness and
frailty. 

"Your time has come, little one." 

The voice surrounded his mind and gave him peace.  Turning on his heels,
Mulder saw the old man, and smiled. 

"Good day, ancestor." He said confidently.  "I have one question for you." 

"Just one, little one?  This is not a simple conquest."  The old man took
a step closer to him and looked down at Mulder.  "the time is soon."  He
added, looking up. 

Unconsciously, Mulder looked up to.  The room had turned into a field, a
vast blue sky spread from horizon to horizon, and the sun was at mid-day. 
But there was something happening.  The day was getting darker. 

"watch the skies, little one.  I have answered your question, no?" 

Mulder cast a wary glance at the old man, and then smiled.  "Yes, you
have."  He gave a heavy sigh of relief. 

"Remember me.  Remember me and trust me, little one.  When the time comes
you will have no room for doubt." 

"What about Scully?"  Mulder asked abruptly. 

His ancestor smiled.  "your fire-haired angel is your one token of hope,
little one.  An extra motive for you to succeed.  You will base this fight
on her.  For if you lose, she will suffer." 

Mulder sat up straight, unintentionally dislodging his partner from her
nest in his arm. 

"Mulder?"  She was as awake as he was.  "you okay?" 

"huh?"  He moved to get out of the bed, but was stopped but her hand on
his forearm.  He turned to her.  "I don't know what to do, Scully.  This
dream I just had... it was a warning.  If I lose, the entire world loses. 
But if I win, no one will even know
 about it." 

"Mulder, you don't want the world to know that it was almost taken over by
a demon lord.  This fight, whatever it is, is for you and me.  We'll do it
together and we will win together.  Right?"  She leaned forward, and
looked into his eyes.  She smiled. 

"Yeah, Scully.  Yeah, we will."  He leaned forward and gave her a gentle
kiss.  " I also learned something else.  You know how I said I was warned
to, 'watch the skies'?  I know what it means.  I'll be back in two secs." 

He got up and disappeared out the door of the motel room.  Few moments
later, he returned carrying the newspaper.  He hurriedly unfolded it and
spread it out on the table. 

"See?"  He asked, pointing o the back page of a section. 

"An eclipse?"  She paused.  "Watch the skies!  How did you know, Mulder?" 

"My dream.  He showed me." He smiled.  "It gives us an advantage, Scully. 
Think about it.  He thinks we're some inferior organism.  He wouldn't know
that we know his weakness."  He scanned the page and sighed.  "It's
tomorrow afternoon, Scully.  How do I know that he won't attack before
then?"  Worry began to creep into his eyes and his frame tensed. 

"Mulder, what else did your ancestor say?"  She laid a comforting hand on
his and gave him a gentle squeeze.  "Take a deep breath, Mulder.  What did
he say?" 

He closed his eyes and sighed.  "He said that I had to trust him.  He said
that if I didn't, the war was already lost." 

"So trust him, Mulder.  I'm sure he know what he's saying." 

"Yeah, I'm sure he does."  He smiled at her and turned to lay down beside
her again.  "I'm tired, Scully.  Let's go back to sleep." 

"Good idea, Mulder.  Something tells me that you'll need all the sleep
that you can get."  She joined him and curled around him, enjoying his
warmth. 


"Yes, sheriff.  Mulder and I will be staying at the hotel today, working
on the notes...  The autopsy revealed a great amount and I need some time
to go through it...  As soon as we find something, sheriff." 

Scully shuddered as she hung up the phone, and turned to her partner,
lying on the bed. 

"Do you plan on getting up at all, Mulder?" 

"What?  Are you joking?  Why don't you join me?"  He grinned and patted
the bed next to him. 

She hesitated a mere second before surprising him and hopping onto the
bed.  "Don't suppose you know how give massages, Mulder?" 

"You really don't know me, do you?"  He said, emphasizing the statement by
cracking his knuckles.  "Turn over." 

She eyed him and then turned onto her stomach.  She took a quick intake of
breath when she felt the weight of him settle over her.  And as soon as
his hands touched her skin, she felt her muscles liquefy and she relaxed,
heaving a little sigh of contentme nt. 

"Mmm.  You're right.  I should've gotten to know this side of you sooner." 

He chuckled and continued to manipulate her back.  Slowly he worked his
way down her back and then back up, rubbing and soothing her sore back. 
"Are you like this after all autopsies?" 

"Mmm.  You gonna help me from now on?" 

"Sounds like a good idea."  He whispered, smiling. 

She shivered and chuckled, then relaxed into his masterful ministrations. 
They spent the time quietly, listening to each others breathing. 

"Enough.  Your turn."  She sighed, turning over under him.  She ran her
hands up his arms and smiled.  "You're so good at that.  Do it again
sometime?" 

"With pleasure."  He didn't move but continued to stared down at her blue
eyes.  "I love you."  He added out of the blue. 

She smiled and sat up, moving him backwards and off of her legs.  "Love
you too.  Now turn over and let me return the favor." 

"With interest?"  He grinned, moving to comply. 

"We'll see." 

JANUARY 21, 1999 SOMEWHERE IN THE FOOTHILLS OF MONTANA

Mulders eyes snapped open, and his hand twitched as if it were fighting
something.  Closing his eyes, he concentrated on ignoring the foreboding
feeling of utter hopelessness.  He would do this.  He had to.  For the
world.  For him.  For Scully; most defi nitely for Scully. 

Slowly getting himself untangled from the death grip his partner had
placed on him, Mulder headed to the bathroom for a shower.  Glancing
outside, he noticed that it was light out.  Arching his eyebrow in
surprise, he looked at his watch.  Only nine, he t hought, lots of time. 

Heaving a sigh and continuing with his shower, Mulder began humming. His
feeling of hopelessness fled like fog on a bright morning.  His heart felt
lighter and he found himself smiling into the misty mirror lining the
shabby motel wall.  He turned to the door when he heard the ancient hinges
squeak an announcement of someone else entering the bathroom. 

"Humming, Mulder?"  She came up behind him and placed a cool hand on his
damp back.  "Are you sure you're okay?" 

"I'm more than okay, Scully. I feel like I've never felt before.  It's as
if something is saying that I shouldn't worry about winning, cause I know
I will."  He turned and gave her a kiss.  "Don't worry about me, Scully. 
I'm going to win this thing, and we are going to be happy for the rest of
our lives." 

She arched a brow at him and gave him a mischievous grin.  "Why, Mulder,
are you asking what I think you're asking?" 

He paused.  Furrowing his brow, he turned to his red-headed angel and
pulled her into his arms.  "Well, see, I was thinking that it was kind of
an unspoken thing.  But yeah, I guess I am."  He let her go and turned to
the mirror a moment before he swivele d back to her, smiling.  "Dana
Scully, partner of six some odd years, stubborn, intelligent, beautiful
woman, please do me the honor of becoming my wife?" 

Surprised by his attitude, and the ease at which he had asked her, Scully,
felt tears spring to her eyes, and no matter how hard she tries to staunch
their flow, they ended up sneaking out.  "Mulder," she whispered, falling
into his embrace.  "Of course I
 will." 

They stood silent for a while, resting in each others arms.  Finally he
pulled back, sighing. 

"As much as I would love to stand in your arms for the rest of the day, I
believe that I have a demon to banish.  And with my lovely bride-to-be
standing guard over me, I feel unbeatable." 

Scully smiled tightly and brushed the dried tears from her eyes.  "Don't
be getting over-confident Mulder.  You always do that, and then you get
let down.  I don't particularly want you to have to be let down, cause if
you go down, the rest of the world f alls real hard too." 

"Thanks for the vote of confidence in me Scully."  He turned and gave he a
small kiss.  "I know what you mean.  Thank you.  But we will beat him,
Scully.  Together, we can do anything."  He continued to get ready in the
small shabby bathroom, next to his
 partner. 

"So how, exactly, do you intend on fighting him, Mulder?"  Scully asked,
pulling her hair out of the towel and rubbing it dry.  She caught his eyes
in the fogged up mirror and held them.  "I mean, you do have a plan
right?" 

He paused, allowing his eyes to fall down to the sink.  "Uh, yeah, sure I
do Scully.  Since when have I never had a plan to beat the bad guy?" 

"Like since the first day I met you.  Mulder, you can't just go into this
with your regular heel to the grindstone attitude." 

"I know that, Scully.  I do.  But it's so hard... sometimes, this whole
thing is just so frustrating." 

"Yeah, well I thought that that went without saying, Mulder."  She said,
coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist.  "I just want
you to come out of this with as little harm as possible, you know?" 

His shoulders fell and his hands moved to lace with hers.  "It's all so
surreal.  Right before I fell asleep last night, I remember thinking to
myself, 'Am I seriously here?  Am I seriously fighting for the world?  Or
is this just some continuous nightma re that just won't seem to stop?'" 

"And as much as you want it to be the latter... you know that it's not.
Right?"  she let go and moved before him, looking into his tortured face. 
He nodded slowly.  "Well, Mulder.  I don't know what to say about that. 
And the only thing I can think of t o help you is just to stay here with
you.  I only hope that that is enough." 

He smiled and planted a kiss on her forehead.  "More than enough.  I can't
even begin to imagine what it would be like without you here."  He sighed
and looked into the mirror and into the eyes of his partner.  "As surreal
as it is, I'll always know that I can count on you." 

They stood in silence for a couple of moments and then Scully gave him a
gentle squeeze.  "Good.  Now, I believe we have to be somewhere." 

Mulder watched her for a moment, move off and then finished at the sink. 
Lifting his head and looking himself in the eyes, Mulder left the small
Montana hotel room to save the world. 


"What time is it?"  His nervous voice echoed over the field near
Alexander's house.  The gentle breeze filtered through the trees that
lined the open expanse and the sky was free of any clouds. 

"Almost noon.  Are you sure that this is the best way to go about this? 
Don't you think that he'll think that it's a trap?" 

"I sure hope not."  He turned, and looked up that road that continued to
remain empty of any sheriffs truck. 

Suddenly the breeze turned cool and Mulder turned to look at the middle of
the field.  Scully watched his actions, worried and confused. 

"Mulder, you have to tell me what you're feeling." 

"Don't you feel it, Scully?  The sudden cold, silence?"  again he turned
and stared wide eyed at the road. Swiveling, Scully followed him.  "He's
not coming in person, Scully.  Belial is coming himself.  He's not hiding
anymore.  He's strong enough now." 

"How do you know this Mulder?"  Scully eyes the empty road and wondered
just what his crazy vision was telling him.  "What do you see?" 

"I see... evil, Scully.  I can't explain it.  I see evil." 

And if Scully closed her eyes and felt, she too could feel it.  The
encompassing cold and presence of malevolence.  She shuddered. 

"He's coming, Scully.  I can sense it... I can feel HIM."  he turned and
spun again and again, trying to locate the evil spirit.  Then he paused,
looking to the sky, and stood still.  A small smile crept onto his face
and laughed.  "Scully, can you see it ?  Them?  They're just standing
there...Standing."  She could still sense Belial's presence yet something
else was there too. 

All of a sudden Mulder fell over and Scully rushed over to him.  "Mulder?"
She closed her eyes and prayed. 


The last thing that he remembered was the sight of all the Chevalier
D'éclair, in the sky standing together presenting a united front. 

Now he was somewhere other than the field.  A large brick wall stood to
one side and if he turned he could see the rest of the room. 

He stood on a platform at the front of a large comfortably furnished hall. 
The door on the other side of the hall were open and gave way to a
courtyard.  Walking along the plated aisle to the doors, Mulder looked at
the walls that he passed.  They were l ined with paintings of Biblical
nature and texts that he had never heard of.  These walls were of a
material he had never seen before.  A smooth opalescent material that
fairly shone with a pale light. 

As he reached the door, he paused and leaned outside.  Peaking around he
stepped from the building and into the sunlight. 

"Hello?" 

a strange echo answered him.  it was his voice, yet it spoke different
words.  "I'm here..." 

closing his eyes and shaking his head, Mulder continued along the path. 
The garden was filled with exotic flowers and trees from all over the
world.  He realized that he didn't have a clue where he was or what he was
supposed to be doing here. 

"Little one..." 

he spun and looked for his ancestor.  "I can hear you.  Where are you?  I
need your help."  Now he began to move frantically through the garden,
searching for the man.  "Help me, please." 

"I'm here." 

Turning he still did not see anyone standing with him.  then he recognized
the voice.  Scully's.  he smiled and said, "Thank you." 

He felt her smile and another wave of comforting warmth.  When he looked
around, he noticed someone, walking away from him. 

"hey!  Wait!"  he took off down the path, following it into a forest. 
Still he could see the person ahead of him, yet he was not gaining any
ground.  He could tell that it was his ancestor.  "Please, wait for me,
ancestor.  I need your help with this." 

"I am but a spirit, little one.  You must learn." 

"I trusted you, ancestor." 

"And you must still." 

Suddenly he was standing next to the old man in front of a pool. 

A ghost of a smile appeared on the haggard face of the old man.  "You are
impatient, little one.  These take time."  He gestured towards the pool,
and Mulder looked into it. 

Pictures floated within the water, fading into one another, yet stunningly
graphic in their own right.  People bled and died as he watched.  Fires
burned and killed as his heart beat slower and slower. 

He was swallowed by the images, surrounded by the horror and disgrace of
them. The water began to turn and boil, reaching out to him.  Oddly drawn
by the essence, Mulder reached out, tentatively touching the hot water. 

As if from a distance, Mulder felt the pain, and heard Scully gasp. 
Looking to the sky, he could sense her presence and feel her holding his
hand. 

"I'm alright, Scully.  I'll call if I need you." 

He turned to the old man standing next to him, and began to speak when he
was waved into silence.  He too looked to the blue sky, and squinted. 

"Your angel is in trouble, little one.  Belial controls more than one
body." 

Fear raced through him and he sat up, breaking from the dream. 


Scully started when Mulder sat up, eyes wild.  He turned to her and tried
to speak. 

Nothing came out.  And he began to frantically gesture something out to
her. 

"Mulder!  Mulder, what are you trying to say?"  she caught his hands and
looked steadily into his eyes. They had always been able to talk through
their eyes.  He stared back through wide, uncontrolled eyes.  She could
read his fear and worry. 

"more..." he gasped, trying to get some air into his lungs.  "there are
more than one, Scully.  He will come for you..."  his eyes rolled, but she
saw his struggle to remain awake enough to get his message across. 
"Belial has many... faces..." 

His countenance changed once again to love, and his eyes closed.  "I love
you..." he whispered just before he once again fell to the ground. 

"Mulder!" she cried, not wanting him to fade away again, "Mulder, I need
you." 

She closed her eyes and lay her head on his chest, fear coursing through
her veins.  She felt the cold once again try to creep in, under her skin. 
She straightened her neck and sat up, looking around the field again. 

"You are more than you appear to be, angel." 

The soft comforting voice startled Scully to turn around.  There, standing
before her was a bright robed man, silver armor garnered his shoulders and
broad body.  A double edged sword resided on his left hip, and a shield
graced the strong left arm.  She came face to face with an 800 year old
Chevalier D'éclair. 

"I just want to be safe again."  She cried, tears becoming reality as they
slid down her face.  "I don't know what I'm doing.  I don't know..." 

"All you need is trust.  You need to know... what conquers all..." The
brightness began to fade, yet before he could leave, he turned and face
the cabin where Alexander had lived.  "We will be here, angel. We will
help, but you must know..." 

With that he faded out of sight and left Scully alone, sitting next to a
fallen Mulder. And she started to doubt. 


Mulder blinked heavily, eyes falling once again to the pool that was in
front of him.  he could feel the death and flames within the pictures
reaching out to capture him, and he didn't know what to do. 

He turned to look at the old man that stood next to him. 

"Why can't I feel her?"  he asked, scared that Scully had left him in the
field, or worse, that she was dead.  "what's happening?" 

"Your angel is there, little one.  She is there in body, but her spirit is
doubting." 

A surge of emotion over came him and Mulder looked to the sky, already
beginning to darken.  He could feel everything that was in her. Her love,
her doubt, her fear, her strength, her commitment.  But he could feel the
doubt of his love crawling it's way up her heart, beginning to loom over
her love for him. 

"I love you," Mulder sighed, closing his eyes.  "I love you, Scully." 

A touch to his shoulder brought Mulder to look down at the pool once
again.  He could see the shadows that were now standing at the edge of the
field.  Between them and Scully, there resided a host of white robed and
silver armored men.  They all were rea dy for battle. 

As the sky continued to darken, the shadows would filter through the grass
coming closer to the two humans lying on the ground.  The silver figures
stood there ground. 

"I love you Scully." He screamed at the top of his lungs. <I love you I
love you Ilove you iloveyou iloveyouiloveyouiloveyou>

<I know> and Mulder could feel the certainty of it wash over the doubt
that had begun to reside within her heart.  <I believe you, Mulder.  I
believe IN you>

the burning began at the tips of their fingers, and at the first clash of
the armored men's swords with the shadows, the burning spread up their
arms and down their bodies.  Both Mulder and Scully now lay on the ground,
light fusing from the joints where their bodies touched and places not
touched by the other. 

As the burning reached Mulders mind, he saw a great evil approach from the
direction of Alexander's cabin.  The darkness and oblivion almost
overwhelmed him into submission. 

<I believe in you, Mulder>

his fear stood still, keeping the dark half of his mind from over taking
all that stood at peace. 

<I love you.  Omnia vincit amor>


Startled, Scully sat up, the eclipse was at it's zenith now, yet the field
appeared as if nothing was happening.  Darkness was all over, a strange
hue bringing certain things into perspective. 

Scully, still holding Mulders hand she turned and saw the people that
stood in the shadows of the trees.  Stock still and blank eyed, they
stood.  Frightened, she tightened her grip on Mulders hand, feeling the
burn now, in this reality, instead of her dr eam state. 

<Mulder, it hurts, Mulder?>

<I know.  I love you, Scully.  Don't doubt that>

<how could I?>

<I feel it, Scully.  I can feel your doubt coming back. You have to
believe me>

Scully could tell he was right.  Taking a deep breath, she smiled,
thinking of all the times that he had shown her his love.  The hospital
visits, the tender looks and voices... 

She collapsed again beside him. 



The gentle breeze brought across with it the gentle smells of the wild
flowers that littered the field. 

Scully shivered slightly and curled closer to the body that lay next to
hers. 

Suddenly she remembered. 

"Mulder!?"  she sat up beside him and checked for a pulse.  He was warm,
burning almost, and Scully panicked.  "Mulder, there is no way that you're
going to leave me now, you... hang on..."  Scully swirled around, digging
in her pockets for the trace of h er cell phone.  Not there. 

She stared down at Mulder, and touched his face, her fingers tracing his
jaw line. 

<omnia vincit amor> his love flowed over her and she smiled, tears
springing into her eyes. 

she stopped, hands still resting on his face. 

<I'm okay, Scully.  Just give me a minute> his love didn't recede and she
sat there, kneeling beside him, patiently waiting for him to regain his
senses. 



"You did good, little one."  The old man, sat before him on a bench in the
courtyard.  "You may not understand what happened, but you trusted me,
like you should have and you won the day." 

"And saved the world." 

The man smiled before him.  "I'm proud of you.  I have watched you for a
long time, knowing that this would come, wondering if you would succeed. 
And indeed you have."  He stood up and lay his hand on Mulders shoulder. 
"I'll stay with you whenever you n eed help.  For now I grant you this." 
A tingle ran the length of Mulders body and then disappeared. 

"Hey..."  he started, only to be cut off by the feeling of love that
permeated his senses. 

>She's waiting for you, little one.  You are lucky.<

the courtyard faded into nothingness and Mulder woke from his dream. 



The sight of Scully's tears caught Mulders heart and reaching up, he
pulled her into a tight embrace.  His own eyes began to tear and he let
them fall without reservation. 

"I love you, so much, Scully."  He whispered, breathing in the scent of
her hair. 

<I do too>

"I know."  Then he paused, furrowing his brow in the midst of all their
crying. 

He pulled back and looked into her eyes.  She smiled and started to laugh,
still with tears running down her cheeks.  Mulder smiled back and wiped
the tears away with his thumbs, his hands wrapped around her neck. 

<you hearing me?> he thought, taking his hands away and helping her up to
her feet. 

She smiled back and got to her feet, gratefully falling into his arms. 
"That was too close, Mulder.  Please say you aren't the descendant of
another league of elite holy knights?" 

He let loose a strangled chuckle, but stopped when he noticed the people
that began to emerge form the trees. 

"Who are you?" 

>they are lost, Little one.  They need help, and you must be the one to be
there for them< his ancestors voice rang clear and true, opening his eyes
to the desolation and sorrow that ranged among the people in the field. 

"Mulder?  What is it?"  she asked, fear running hidden in her voice. 

"They're lost, Scully.  They don't remember anything."  Mulder let go of
her and stepped forward.  He looked from each person to the next, seeing
and feeling the immense sense of hopelessness and the need for something
concrete.  He could feel the emotion s flowing from each person as he
looked into their eyes. 

<I think that my ancestor gave me some senses as a gift, Scully> he
thought, never taking his eyes from the poor souls that wandered out from
the forest into the now bright sunlight. 

Scully looked to him sharply and then to the other people now with them. 
"What do you mean, Mulder?  What are you talking about?" 

He blinked, not know what he could say, the desolation was taking over
him, and reached out reflexively for Scully's hand.  "I can... feel them,
feel whatever it is they are feeling.  They're so lost, Scully."  It was
still coming, he could feel Scully's comforting emotions in the back of
his mind, but first and foremost was the feelings of these people, and he
couldn't get them out of his head... 

He fell to his knees, clutching his head. 

"I can't get their voices out of my head, Scully.  Their emotions..." he
clenched his eyes shut, trying to see if that would do what he needed; a
silencing of the emotions. 

She fell before him. "Mulder, look at me..." he raised his head to her
voice.  "Look only at me, see me Mulder, read my emotions." 

His eyes opened, slowly focusing on the blue eyes that calmly held his. 
He could see so much more than he had ever before.  The pain she held for
the loss of Melissa, the wreckage that the cancer had left, the emptiness
of Emily's death... so much more t han he thought that one person could
ever hold. 

Scully too, could see the way that Mulder felt about things.  Samantha's
disappearance, his father's death, her cancer, Emily, Melissa too. The
conviction he had for finding the truth.  The love he held for her.  The
pain that resided because of his many years of loneliness. 

They started to cry at exactly the same time. 

<I love you so much> said Mulder, looking deep into her eyes. 

<I know.  I love you too> she thought back, running a hand down his face. 
<Feeling better?>

he smiled, nodding.  "I can't hear them as much anymore."  He looked to
the people who were now heading back up the roads and back into town.  "I
think I know how to control it... I think." 

"Yeah, well we can't have you doing that in Skinner's office, now can we?" 
Scully smirked.  "I think that he might be more than a little confused if
you start blurting out what ever answer it is to the questions he hasn't
asked yet." 

 Mulder started to feel better, and stood, holding solidly onto Scully's
shoulder. "well, pardner," he started, taking a tentative step forward. 
"I think we should be getting on, and going to see that Skinner type
person." 

She smiled and helped walk out over the field to the car that sat in the
shade of the trees.